Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago and Philipsburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago: $1,206 a month against $3,149 in Philipsburg, rent and utilities included – about $23,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index
148

Cost of Living Index in Philipsburg
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Philipsburg Living Index

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Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,206

/mo nomad

Philipsburg

🇸🇽 Sint Maarten

$3,149

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santiago and in Philipsburg

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Santiago and in Philipsburg actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,206 in Santiago versus $3,149 in Philipsburg.

Santiago $1,206
Philipsburg $3,149

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,885 in Santiago versus $6,004 in Philipsburg.

Santiago $1,885
Philipsburg $6,004

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,564 in Santiago versus $8,859 in Philipsburg.

Santiago $2,564
Philipsburg $8,859

Living in Santiago costs roughly 62% less than in Philipsburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santiago is 10% below, Philipsburg is 135% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.19 CLP 9,931

$15.49 ANG 27.73

-34.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 CLP 50.9K

$70.8 ANG 127

-26.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.54 CLP 8,323

$8.04 ANG 14.39

6.22%

Cappuccino

$3.19 CLP 3,115

$4.38 ANG 7.83

-27.17%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 CLP 1,637

$2.90 ANG 5.19

-42.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 CLP 1,191

$4.11 ANG 7.35

-70.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.21 CLP 4,101

$2.97 ANG 5.31

41.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 CLP 4,539

$6.55 ANG 11.72

-28.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 CLP 1,283

$3.06 ANG 5.48

-56.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 CLP 1,756

$2.64 ANG 4.72

-31.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 CLP 1,543

$2.53 ANG 4.53

-37.55%

Eggs

$4.25 CLP 4,141

$6.54 ANG 11.70

-35.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.19 CLP 10.9K

$18.69 ANG 33.46

-40.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.75 CLP 6,580

$13.75 ANG 24.61

-50.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.67 CLP 10.4K

$14.89 ANG 26.66

-28.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 CLP 1,991

$5.07 ANG 9.07

-59.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 CLP 1,497

$5.07 ANG 9.08

-69.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 CLP 1,549

$9.20 ANG 16.46

-82.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.75 CLP 1,708

$7.58 ANG 13.57

-76.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 CLP 1,051

$4.06 ANG 7.27

-73.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 CLP 1,476

$4.04 ANG 7.22

-62.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 CLP 1,145

$4.88 ANG 8.74

-76.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 CLP 1,041

$1.34 ANG 2.40

-20.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.14 CLP 5,015

$8.16 ANG 14.61

-37.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.88 CLP 5,732

$10.82 ANG 19.37

-45.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CLP 1,513

$5.13 ANG 9.19

-69.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 CLP 2,218

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 CLP 829

$2.26 ANG 4.05

-62.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.50 CLP 40.5K

$1.47 ANG 2.63

2723.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 CLP 383

$15.04 ANG 26.92

-97.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 CLP 820

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.94 CLP 11.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 CLP 1,467

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$18.1K CLP 17.7M

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$21.6K CLP 21.1M

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$151 CLP 147.3K

$152 ANG 271

-0.28%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$12.04 CLP 11.7K

$32.40 ANG 58.0

-62.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.93 CLP 18.5K

$65.8 ANG 118

-71.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.81 CLP 33.0K

$62.7 ANG 112

-46.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.72 CLP 11.4K

Cinema Ticket

$7.37 CLP 7,185

$10.92 ANG 19.54

-32.51%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$434 CLP 423.3K

$248 ANG 443

75.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K CLP 10.7M

$12.0K ANG 21.4K

-8.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 CLP 49.6K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.16 CLP 28.4K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.4 CLP 65.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.3 CLP 78.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$555 CLP 540.8K

$2,145 ANG 3,840

-74.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 CLP 363.2K

$1,994 ANG 3,570

-81.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,009 CLP 984.3K

$6,614 ANG 11.8K

-84.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$779 CLP 759.1K

$6,466 ANG 11.6K

-87.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,671 CLP 2.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 CLP 2.6M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$791 CLP 771.7K

$1,132 ANG 2,026

-30.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

7.80%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Santiago: October 4, 2026

Last update for Philipsburg: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Santiago

$372 31.6%

Philipsburg

$2K 64.2% 436% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Santiago

$236 20%

Philipsburg

$496 * 16% 110% $260

Eating Out

Santiago

$187 15.9%

Philipsburg

$256 8.3% 36.9% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santiago

$182 15.5%

Philipsburg

$250 8% 37.2% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Santiago

$102 8.7%

Philipsburg

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Santiago

$50 4.2%

Philipsburg

$26 * 0.8% 48.4% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Santiago

$49 4.1%

Philipsburg

$85 2.7% 74.1% $36

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $555 in Santiago and $2,145 in Philipsburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Philipsburg pays 43% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $52.0 in Santiago vs $71.0 in Philipsburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $236 vs $496 per month, with Santiago cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Santiago

🇸🇽 Philipsburg

🕒 Local time

08:33 8:33 AM

07:33 7:33 AM

1 h behind Santiago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,139,087 Capital

1,900 Capital

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

Netherlands Antillean Guilder ANG ƒ

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.26 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.15 EUR

1 ANG = 0.559 USD

1 ANG = 0.499 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ANG, USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇱 Chilean Peso ($)

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 975 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 1,093 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.15 EUR).

Netherlands Antillean Guilder exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 ANG (1 ANG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 2.01 ANG (1 ANG = 0.499 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Santiago Philipsburg 5,780 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Santiago
Philipsburg

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Santiago vs Philipsburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santiago wins on cost – living expenses run 161% lower than in Philipsburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Santiago the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 43% lower in Philipsburg. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $555 in Santiago versus $2,145 in Philipsburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 110% higher in Philipsburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Santiago – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $71.0 in Philipsburg. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,206 in Santiago versus $3,149 in Philipsburg, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santiago but tight or insufficient in Philipsburg. The gap between the two cities makes Santiago the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Santiago gentler on the wallet – expenses run 161% less than in Philipsburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.